Key takeaway: A senior cleric’s Friday prayer speech reinforces conservative leadership’s opposition to accepting Iran’s Green Movement reformists.
Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami stated, “There is no space for opposition to the government in the Islamic Republic.” Khatami’s comments are likely in reference to reformists’ efforts to free Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi after the latter’s hunger strike on August 16-17. Senior conservative figures have fought reformists’ efforts for a “national reconciliation” in Iran.
This Iran News Round Up predominantly covers events from August 17-18.
Fatemiyoun fighter buried in Kerman.
Fatemiyoun Brigade member Mohammad Qassem Nazari was buried in Kerman Province in eastern Iran, on August 16. Nazari was reportedly killed in Palmyra, Homs Governorate, Syria. (Titre Jaleb)
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Titre JalebIran rejects calls for appeal on Princeton prisoner.
Princeton University announced that Iran’s Judiciary has rejected calls to appeal the sentence of Xiyue Wang. Wang, a Princeton doctoral student, faces a 10 year sentence on charges of “conducting espionage under the cover of research.” Princeton has called Wang’s imprisonment “baseless” and “unjust.” (Radio Farda)
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Radio FardaPakpour meets Turkish Ground Forces Commander.
IRGC Ground Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour met with Turkish Ground Commander Zeki Çolak in Ankara on August 17. Pakpour’s meeting follows a three-day trip by Armed Forces General Staff chief IRGC Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri to Turkey earlier this week. (Fars News Agency)
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Fars News AgencyIRGC senior adviser: U.S. wants a missile equivalent of nuke deal.
Brig. Gen. 2C Yadollah Javani, senior adviser to the Supreme Leader’s representative to the IRGC, claimed that the U.S. is sanctioning Iran's missile program in order to pressure the Islamic Republic into agreeing to a “missile [equivalent] of the nuclear deal.” Javani warned that such a deal would force Iran to “accept limitations” to its missile program. (Defa Press)
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Defa PressTehran Prayer Leader: No space for opposition in Iranian politics.
Interim Tehran Friday Prayer Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami stated that “the government becomes legitimate after endorsement [by the Supreme Leader], and providing advisory support and constructive criticism is the duty of us all. There is no space for opposition to the government in the Islamic Republic.” Khatami’s remarks likely refer to calls to free Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi from house arrest after the latter’s hunger strike on August 16-17. (Tasnim News Agency)
- Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Motahari emphasized that Karroubi should stand a fair trial and commented that “if Karroubi has committed a major crime and flouted the country’s rights, why should he be pardoned upon [his] repentance? The talk of some intelligence and security officials who say that [he] should repent in order to be released has no logical or legal basis… so it is better that officials make preliminary arrangements for a fair public trial.” (BBC Persian)